A device of this type is disclosed in the German Offenlegungsschrift DE-OS No. 32 43 101, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,689. The present invention also relates to a method of installing such a window.
A new vehicle assembly technique, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,582,156 and 4,597,461 involves the use of a so-called cockpit module, i.e., a unit comprised of a wall with pre-assembled components mounted on the engine and the occupant compartment side. During vehicle assembly, this unit is moved from the vehicle driver side through the door opening into the vehicle and is then fastened inside of the vehicle to the vehicle body. Experience has been that in the course of this assembly procedure the dashboard sometimes comes to be located too close to the windshield. This will sometimes cause friction to occur between these two components when, during vehicle operation, the vehicle body is subjected to twisting, and it may result in squeaking noises. One remedy that has been employed in an effort to overcome this problem is to reduce the dimension of the dashboard and to fill in the resulting gap, which is sometimes 7 mm. wide, with a sealant or other type of gap-filling strip. However, the employment of a sealing strip is associated with increased costs in terms of labor and material and is not very pleasing to the eye.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a windshield mounting device of the type described in the foregoing which serves as a means not only to adjust the windshield to its proper height position, but also to enable accurate spacing of the windshield from the dashboard. The present invention also teaches a method of installing a windshield with the help of a device of this type.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the windshield is installed so that the marginal inner face of the windshield bears upon spacers whose thickness can be adjusted.
The arrangement of providing adjustable spacers enables the lower edge of the windshield, after installation of the cockpit module into the vehicle, to be slightly displaced in the forward direction, so that a sufficiently wide gap will be created between the dashboard and the windshield. This will prevent the dashboard from bearing against the windshield so that squeaking noises, due to friction between these two components, are effectively eliminated.
Thanks to the invention, the filling or sealing strip between the dashboard and the windshield can be eliminated, and the gap is not noticeable any more, because the spacers between the dashboard and the windshield can now be adjusted by eye.